Early feedback reflects anxieties around fuel and freight expenses as well as delegate attendance. Photo Credit: AdobeStock/forenna
As the US-Iran war destabalises the business events and travel industry – even threatening the survivability of transport operators – industry associations in APAC are going ground-up to advocate for government support.
The Australian Business Events Association (ABEA) is urging stakeholders across the business events ecosystem to share “concrete examples” of disruption.
ABEA CEO Melissa Brown said: “We are encouraging all stakeholders – members and non-members – in the business events sector to share concrete examples of how the conflict is affecting them and where government support may help so we can continue building the evidence needed to advocate credibly and effectively.
The association has already begun discussions with federal leaders, including Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell and Assistant Minister for Tourism Nita Green, as part of a coordinated push by visitor economy groups to highlight sector-wide challenges and identify practical solutions.
According to Brown, early feedback points to a range of pressures including uncertainty around delegate attendance, airline access, rising food and beverage costs, increased fuel and freight expenses, and tighter event budgets.
In response, suppliers are adopting more cautious strategies – purchasing earlier to hedge against shortages, building larger buffers into budgets, and reconsidering international speaker programmes.
“When the visitor economy speaks with one voice, we are better placed to secure government attention and practical support,” Brown noted, adding that collaboration with other peak bodies has been critical in surfacing both shared and sector-specific concerns.
Calls for relief in Malaysia
Association-led advocacy is playing out across the wider tourism ecosystem. In Malaysia, the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has intensified calls for targeted subsidies and temporary relief measures to support tourism transport operators facing mounting diesel costs.
MATTA recently surveyed tour bus and van operators and found that 68.5% of tour van operators consume more than 1,500 litres of diesel per month per vehicle, while 54.8% of tour bus operators consume more than 3,500 litres per month per bus.
The association warns that continued price increases risk undermining business viability and disrupting the broader tourism supply chain.
“The continued rise in diesel prices is placing an unsustainable burden on tourism transport operators, many of whom are already operating on very thin margins,” said Nigel Wong, president of MATTA. “It is critical that we adopt practical and balanced measures that ensure business continuity without compromising consumer trust.”
Among its proposals, MATTA is advocating for targeted diesel subsidies and the introduction of a temporary, transparent fuel surcharge mechanism – modelled on the aviation sector – to help operators offset rising costs without eroding customer confidence.
“A temporary and transparent fuel surcharge mechanism, combined with targeted government support, will help the industry navigate this challenging period while maintaining service standards across Malaysia’s tourism sector,” Wong added.
The association stressed that any surcharge should be clearly communicated, proportionate to actual costs and strictly time-bound, reinforcing a broader push across the industry for transparency alongside financial relief.